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The C&SC guide to the Goodwood Revival 2019

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It’s Goodwood Revival time again! Between 13-15 September the Sussex circuit will once again stage the world’s largest dressing up game as the background to some spectacular historic motorsport, all washed down with stunning displays and live music.

It’s an undoubted highlight of the world’s classic car calendar – but with so much to see and do, it’d be easy to miss some of the action.

So, to make sure you get the best from the 22nd Revival, here’s our expert guide.

Track action

No matter what anyone says, the off-track attractions are mere sideshows to the races – and what races they promise to be!

Friday is mainly given over to practice sessions, but it ends with the first race proper, in the form of the Kinrara Trophy. Billed last year as ‘The most expensive historic race ever’ it featured a Ferrari 250GTO, the famed Ferrari ‘Breadvan’ and countless other classics. Expect more of the same this year.

Saturday sees seven races take place, among them the first part of the two-stage St Mary’s Trophy and the always wonderful Sussex Trophy. Sunday, meanwhile, has nine races – we’d pay particular attention to the Bentley-packed Brooklands Trophy, the hour-long Royal Automobile Club TT Celebration and the brilliant Whitsun Trophy.

11:25am – Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy, Part 2 Two-rider race for motorcycles of a type that raced between 1960 and 1966

12:15pm – Brooklands Trophy (25 mins) For pre-war Bentley sports cars

2:30pm – Royal Automobile Club TT Celebration (60 mins) For closed-cockpit GT cars in the spirit of the RAC TT races, 1960-’64

3:55pm – St Mary’s Trophy, Part 2 For saloon cars of a type that raced between 1950 and ’59

4:45pm – Whitsun Trophy (25 mins) For unlimited sports prototypes of a type that raced up to 1966

6pm – Freddie March Memorial Trophy (25 mins) For cars in the spirit of the Goodwood Nine Hour races, 1952-’55

And if that’s all too much to remember, download Goodwood’s motorsport app on Apple or Android to keep track and receive notifications so you never miss a thing.

(Another) Bentley bonanza

Don’t yawn and scroll past another mention of Bentley’s centenary, because Goodwood’s celebration at the Revival looks set to be pretty special, with the aforementioned Brooklands Trophy dedicated to the marque.

And, in a nod to a brief early tradition at Le Mans (that caught out Bentley in ’25), cars must run for the first two laps with their hoods up, before dropping them for the remainder.

And while we’re looking at the races in more detail, F3 500cc single-seaters make a return for the Earl of March Trophy, which runs in rotation with the Chichester Cup, while ’60s sports/GT cars will tussle for the Fordwater Trophy and the St Mary’s Trophy shuffles back a decade to feature 1950s saloons trading paint.

Superstar debuts

A trio of stars from two wheels and four will make their Revival debuts among the usual stellar names.

Popular Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya (above left) returns to Sussex for the first time since his 2003 appearance with Williams at the Festival of Speed, while Jeff Gordon and Dani Pedrosa (above right) will be taking their Goodwood bows.

Montoya is currently plying his trade in IMSA, having won seven Grands Prix in F1, two Indy 500s and the 1999 CART title. He even claimed two wins in NASCAR.

Gordon is one of the greatest NASCAR drivers in history, and the four-time champion follows the likes of Richard Petty to Sussex, albeit only for demonstration laps.

Three-time world champion Pedrosa will ride a Paton in the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy, facing former GP riders Jeremy McWilliams, Steve Parrish and James Haydon.

And it’s not just racing

In addition to the racing, look out for track displays.

This year, expect a parade marking the 60th anniversary of the 1959 RAC Tourist Trophy (above), won by in spectacular and dramatic style by Stirling Moss for Aston Martin – and, of course, Moss’ 90th birthday, coming up on 17 September, will be marked.

Catch the 1959 TT demonstrations at 3:45pm on Friday, 11:30am on Saturday and 2pm on Sunday, and the Sir Stirling Moss Celebration track parade at 12:50pm on Saturday only.

And it seems 60th celebrations are in vogue this year, because 60 Years of the Mini will be marked with track parades at 9:15am on Friday, and 9am on Saturday and Sunday. In fact, Minis will be in abundance throughout, with the cars owned by Beatles Paul, George and Ringo among those heading to the festival.

It is also 60 years since Cooper won its first Formula One World Championship, so don’t miss the commemorative track parades at 1:05pm on Friday, 4:15pm on Saturday and 5:30pm on Sunday.

In addition, there will be poignant tributes to the heroes of D-Day, which took place 75 years ago, including a poppy drop from a Douglas C-47 and a parade of military vehicles and veterans, at 2:50pm on Saturday and 1:10pm on Sunday.